Tuesday, March 14, 2017

A new roofing contractor manager, Andrew Atkinson who lives in Middlesbrough, brings with him 51 years’ experience in the industry. He will be responsible for driving business expansion and acting as client interface on Roofclad’s contracts.

Tony Graham, of Greenside, Ryton, takes up the role of contracts manager, responsible for ordering materials and overseeing all projects on site. He is no stranger to the industry, having spent 20 years working for Roofclad’s owner, David Tilley, in his former business where he began work in the industry as an operative. He is currently working on a number of projects, one being a re-roofing project at Robson & Cowan in Scots Gap.

Commenting on the appointments, director, Alex Tilley said:

“I am delighted to welcome Andrew and Tony to the team. Both are highly skilled and well known in the industry and their experience will be invaluable as we expand Roofclad’s client base throughout the North of England. We are also actively seeking additional staff to support our expansion plans including a graduate in a construction-related discipline as we seek to reinforce our position as one of the region’s leading specialists in the design and installation of roofing and cladding systems.”

Monday, March 6, 2017

The tax world is complex, and when it comes to write-offs there are a number of ways that smart businesses (with the help of their tax advisors) can make the tax law work in their favour.

We’ve rounded up 5 unexpected tax deductions we’ve seen pass with the Tax Courts in the past. Your business is unique, however, so be sure to work with your tax consultant to discuss what can work for you, and where you can save on your taxes this year.

1) Pet Expenses

Maybe.

There’s no denying that the cost of maintaining a pet can be expensive. While typically these costs are considered to be personal expenses, there have been cases where businesses have proven how vital their pets were to the business, and were able to have those expenses deducted from their taxes.
For example, a couple who owned a junkyard was allowed to write off the cost of cat food they set out to attract wild cats. The cats came for the food, but they also kept the property free of rats and snakes, making it safer for the customers.

As with any claim, be prepared to back it up with documentation and facts. Simply claiming Fido as your office guard dog is not likely to get you far.

Marketing Trends 2017

Personalization - Personalization means segmenting your content to reach different types of audience members based on their preferences, habits, etc.

Native Advertising - Viewers, followers and consumers are getting wise to the tricks of advertisers, and it’s becoming harder and harder to maintain their attention and earn their trust.

Marketing Automation - Why do the same thing over and over again when you can do it once and automate the rest? Automation is becoming extremely powerful (and popular) among marketers and businesses who are looking to scale and expand past trading hours.

Purpose Driven Marketing - One of the most effective ways to extend your story is to give it a feel-good element. Brands that partner with nonprofits or charities, or set up internal programs that “give back” in some way (TOMS shoes comes to mind) have a much stronger presence because their story resonates with the hearts of consumers.

Data Driven Marketing - There are two types of marketers: those who want to use what’s popular and those who use what works, regardless of whether it’s popular or not.

Social Media “Buy” Buttons - We are moving into an age where purchasing doesn’t need to happen on a third-party site. Users are on a social platform, so why should they have to leave in order to buy something?

Dark Social - The hardest part about tracking traffic, conversions and shares is that you’re not always sure what the sources are.

Embrace The lOT - Should your thermostat talk to you? How about a refrigerator that informs you when you’re low on milk, and then gives you the option to place an order immediately?